Experts on hype, past, present, future and ethics of AI

Artificial intelligence as a term dates back at least to the 1950s to denote a computer’s ability to learn; as a theoretical concept or artistic theme it goes back further. Today it is very much back in vogue in part perhaps because old algorithms are becoming more popular as a way to automate more and more popular projects (autonomous vehicles and the Internet of Things among them) and new algorithms are being created and applied in novel ways.

But like any popular meme, AI has also been kidnapped by the media and marketing communications industries to the point that the term is sometimes used in a slapdash way. To get a grip on where AI is today, I contacted a selection of experts in the field. The following is an edited version of their responses to my questions.